Log hook



March 21, 1967 H. MICHAUD 3,310,331

LOG HOOK Filed April 12, 1965 3 IN l EN TOR Honore' lf/Cl/AUD AGENT United States Patent 3,310,331 LOG HOOK Honor Michaud, Lamy, Temiscouata County,

Quebec, Canada Filed Apr. 12, 1965, Ser. No. 447,152 3 Claims. (Cl. 29426) The present invention relates to a hook for handling logs and, more particularly, four-foot pulpwood logs.

An object of the present invention resides in the provisionof a hook of the character described provided with simple means to prevent rotation of the handle with respect to the hook itself.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provision of a log hook, in which the handle has a somewhat oval cross-sectional shape, to facilitate manipulation of the hook and is preferably made of a synthetic resin, such as polyethylene, so as to 'be unbreakable.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provision of a log hook of the character described, in which the hook has a U-shape in which the leg of the U provided with the tip of the hook, is nearly parallel to the leg of the U carrying the handle in order to facilitate handling of pulpwood logs.

Another important object of the present invention resides in the provision of a log hook of the character described, in which the tip has a special shape so as to easily penetrate all kinds of wood and stick to the latter and yet, at the same time, which can be removed by simple pivotal movement of the hook with respect to the log.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provision of a log hook tip, which, in accordance with a modification, is used whenever greater adherence of the hook to the log is desired.

The foregoing and other important objects of the present invention will become more apparent during the following disclosure and by referring to the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a log hook in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal section taken along line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a partial section, on an enlarged scale, taken along line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a partial perspective view of the handle; and

FIGURE 5 is perspective view of the tip end of the hook in accordance with a modified embodiment.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings in which like reference characters indicate like elements throughout, the hook in accordance with the present invention consists of a U-shaped metal element 1, having preferably a rectangular cross-section and providing a substantially straight main leg 2 tapering towards its end 3, and a second leg 5 making only an angle of approximately 25 degrees with leg 2 and being joined to the latter by curved bight portion 4.

The leg 5 tapers towards the free end thereof and the tip of leg 5 defines a flat terminal face 8, making practically a 90 angle with the longitudinal axis of leg 5. The tip defines also an internal flat face 9, which is directed towards leg 2 and protrudes inwardly from the remaining inner face 6 of leg 5, so as to define a step 10.

Internal face 9 is substantially rectangular in shape and is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of leg 5. The face defined by step is substantially parallel to terminal face 8.

Faces 8 and 9 meet along a transverse relatively sharp edge 11. The external face 7 of leg 5 is substantially continuous and flat up to terminal face 8.

Patented Mar. 21, 1967 "ice According to a modification of the tip end of the hook in accordance with the invention, as shown in FIG- URE 5, the tapered end portion of the free leg 5 of the U-shaped elements, is terminated by a flat substantially rectangular face 25 which is slightly inclined with respect to the perpendicular long axis of the leg portion 5'.

The tip end forms a head 26 protruding from both the inner face 27 and the outer face 28 of the tapered portion 5', so as to define inner and outer steps 29 and 30, respectively, between inner face 27 and inner face portion 31 of head 26 and between outer face 28 and outer face portion 32 of head 26.

The steps 29 and 30 are substantially flat faces which lie in a common plane which is substantially parallel to the terminal face 25.

Inner and outer face portions 31 and 32 are substantially flat and parallel to each other and also substantially parallel to the long axis of leg portion 5'. Terminal face 25 defines sharp edges 33 and 34 at its meeting lines with inner and outer face portions 31 and 32, respectively.

The end of leg 3 of U-shaped element 1, is rigidly secured, such as by welding, to the center of a metal yoke member 12, having a generally U shape, and disposed in a plane which is substantially perpendicular to the plane containing U-shaped element 1.

Yoke member 12 forms legs 13 provided at their free ends with flattened portions 14 facing each other, and the inside face of which being provided with a series of small studs 15 over the entire surface of said inside face.

Legs 13, which have substantially circular cross-sections, merge with the flattened inside face of portions 14 by means of inclined face portion 16.

A handle 17, made of wood, but preferably of a synthetic resin such as polyethylene, is disposed between the flattened portions 14 of the two legs 13.

This handle 17 has two flat end faces 18 substantially parallel to each other and at right angles to the long axis of the handle. The handle 17 has a substantially oval cross-sectional shape which remains of the same size throughout the length of the handle; thus, handle 17 as substantially flattened lateral faces 19.

Handle 17 has a longitudinally extending through :bore 20 and is provided with inclined notches 21 at its two terminal faces 18. The flattened portions 14 of legs 13 are provided with a hole for receiving a bolt 22 extending through the bore 20 of the handle. The end of the bolt opposite head 23 is threaded for receiving a nut 24.

Notches 21 serve to receive inclined portions 16 of legs 20. The end faces 18 of handle 17 are tightened by bolt 22 and nut 24 against the flattened portion 14 and, therefore, the studs 15 are forcibly inserted into the material of the handle to thereby rigidly secure the handle against rotation with respect to legs 13. Preferably, bolt 22 is a stove bolt with a portion of square crosssection adjacent head 23 to enter a square hole in part 14 to prevent rotation of the bolt during tightening of nut 24.

It is to be noted that inclined portions 16 and notches 21 do not mate in an accurate manner and, without studs 15, the handle 17 would rotate. Studs 15 positively prevent even the slightest rotation of handle 17 with respect to yoke member 12. However, when handle 17 is made of a slightly resilient material, such as polyethylene, the handle exerts on the studs 15 an outward force which prevents unscrewing of nut 24 and, therefore, the latter does not require any lock washer. Moreover, a polyethylene handle is unbreakable, despite rough use to which log hooks are normally put.

Preferably, yoke member 12 lies in a plane which makes an angle with respect to the long axis of leg 2 of U-shaped element 1, such that the plane containing yoke member 12 is substantially parallel to terminal face 8 of the tip of the first embodiment, or to terminal face 25 of the tip of the second embodiment.

Due to the fact that legs 2 and 5 of the U-shaped element 1 make a very small included angle of, say, about 25 degrees, handling of pulpwood logs with the hook in accordance with the invention is made easier and more efficient.

The above-described special shape of tip ends in accordance with the first embodiment of FIGURE 1, or second embodiment of FIGURE 5, prevents accidents because there is no pointed tip, while, moreover, the tip end wears out much more slowly than conventional tips. Furthermore, the step 10 of the first embodiment and steps 29 and 30 of the second embodiment, act more or less like the barb of a fish hook to prevent the removal of the tip-s from Within the end face of a pulpwood log.

Naturally, the top end of the second embodiment forms a more secure attachment of the hook to the log than the first embodiment, and is used for softer Woods.

Because handle 17 cannot possibly rotate with respect to yoke member 12, the log hook in accordance with the invention is very safe in handling.

While preferred embodiments in accordance with the invention have been illustrated and described, it is understood that various modifications may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A log hook comprising a first U-shaped element having one leg terminated by a tip and a second U- shaped element secured at its center to the end of the other leg of said first U-shaped element and having its two legs in a plane substantially perpendicular to that of the first U-shaped element, a handle secured to the free ends of the legs of said second U-shaped element and extending between said ends, said tip forming a flat 4 face portion substantially parallel to and protruding from the inside face of the remaining pontion of said tip carrying leg, said protruding face defining a step with said internal face, said tip having a fiat terminal face making a substantially right angle with said protruding face.

2. A log hook as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tip further defines a second fiat face substantially parallel to said first flat protruding face and protruding from the external face of said tip carrying leg, said second flat protruding face definining with said last-named external face a step lying in a substantially common plane with said first-named step.

3. A log hook comprising a U-shaped element, one leg of which has a tip and the other leg of which carries handle means, said tip carrying leg having a substantially rectangular cross-section and defining lateral faces, an internal face and an external face, said tip defining an enlarged head having a flat terminal face, and flat internal and external face portions protruding from said internal and external faces of said tip carrying leg, respectively, so as to define steps therewith, said steps being flat and lying substantially in a common plane substantially parallel to the plane containing said terminal flat face, said internal and external face portions defining a sharp edge with said terminal flat face.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 555,681 3/1896 Dalton 29426 1,111,370 9/1914 Faix 29426 1,497,542 6/1924 Carlson 29411 1,687,073 10/1928 Webster 29457 1,710,575 4/1929 Grant 29426 2,057,256 10/1936 Webster 29457 2,279,809 4/ 1942 Apfel 29411 2,892,269 6/1959 Pospiszel 29426 X FOREIGN PATENTS 115,056 9/ 1945 Sweden.

0 M. HENSON WOOD, JR., Primary Examiner.

C. H. SPADERNA, J. N. ERLICH, Assistant Examiners. 

1. A LOG HOOK COMPRISING A FIRST U-SHAPED ELEMENT HAVING ONE LEG TERMINATED BY A TIP AND A SECOND USHAPED ELEMENT SECURED AT ITS CENTER TO THE END OF THE OTHER LEG OF SAID FIRST U-SHAPED ELEMENT AND HAVING ITS TWO LEGS IN A PLANE SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THAT OF THE FIRST U-SHAPED ELEMENT, A HANDLE SECURED TO THE FREE ENDS OF THE LEGS OF SAID SECOND U-SHAPED ELEMENT AND EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID ENDS, SAID TIP FORMING A FLAT FACE PORTION SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO AND PROTRUDING FROM THE INSIDE FACE OF THE REMAINING PORTION OF SAID TIP CARRYING LEG, SAID PROTRUDING FACE DEFINING A STEP WITH SAID INTERNAL FACE, SAID TIP HAVING A FLAT TERMINAL FACE MAKING A SUBSTANTIALLY RIGHT ANGLE WITH SAID PROTRUDING FACE. 